Gregor and the War of Severance
by Tytonic
Summary: Through years of recovery, Gregor has managed to move on. However, when Regalia faces a threat like no other, Gregor must return, and become the warrior once more.
1. Chapter 1: Life Above

**Hello peoples of this world, and perhaps worlds beyond! Oh, how nice it is to slide behind a keyboard with a spark of life spinning around in my mind. . . So, I'll get down and dirty right off the bat here. While I like War of the Myriapods, I am un satisfied with it. It is not the story, it is the writing. I feel that I can do better, much better, and so I shall. I have had a few ideas rolling around here and there, and I am taking the times to gather them up and slap them down! **

**And so begins a new story! Enjoy, my friends. . .**

**P.S. Any words that are italicized are the current characters thoughts.**

**-Tytonic**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Underland Chronicles, nor do I claim to. I do, however, hold rights over the characters and plot I create.<strong>

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><p><strong>Gregor and the War of Severance<strong>

**Chapter 1: Life Above**

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><p>Gregor kissed Luxa good-bye and climbed out into the park. Then she backed down a few steps and they held each others gaze until Gregor's dad slid the rock in place, parting them forever.<p>

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><p><em>4 years later. . .<em>

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><p>As Gregor's eyes slid open, a luminous light shimmered through the window, setting the room ablaze with a spectacular glow. Birds could be heard singing outside, intertwined with the sound of leaves swaying in the wind.<p>

On this particular day, Gregor held little to no ill feelings towards the world. He had slept relatively well, free from his usual nightmare-plagued dreams. No weight rested upon his shoulders, and he was unusually stress-free.

His life was starting to look up. He was beginning to fit in at school, to accept his life above. Despite his macabre past, Gregor was beginning to move on. There are, however, some things you can never forget.

Gregor felt his heart ache as his eyes passed over the picture of him and Luxa. Bound by trauma, he would always love her to some degree. No matter who he loved, she would always hold a special place in his heart.

As light shimmered across its surface, he felt himself smile. Against all odds, he had found happiness when his world was torn away from him.

She would be happy for me. And despite our separation, she is not gone. In fact, I feel that we are closer than ever before. We will meet again, be it in this world or the next.

Gregor exhaled slowly, and slid his legs out from under the covers. Pulling himself to his feet, he began to dress himself. Before he put anything on, he pulled a necklace over his head, allowing it to rest around his neck. At the end of the necklace hung a large claw. It met more to Gregor than anything else he owned, save his picture with Luxa.

It was Ares claw. Ares the flier, bond of Gregor the warrior. In the final battle, the Bane had struck a fatal blow upon Ares, thus ending his life. Gregor, however, was not depressed by this. While he greatly missed his old friend, he had died a hero, protecting the lives of thousands. Ares was a hero.

A small tear slid down Gregor's cheek, and he remembered his old friend. A sad smile slid over his face.

Rest in peace, dear friend. You died a hero, protecting us all. Your legacy shall never be forgotten.

Gregor completed dressing himself, and walked to his nightstand. Taking the old worn photo of him and Luxa, he looked at it for a few moments, before sliding it into his front pocket. With a deep breath, he left the comforts of his room, and entered the rest of his house. Having showered the night before, he walked past the bathroom, and into the dinning room, where breakfast awaited him.

Unlike before, his family now had an actual dinning room. Previously, they had lived in a small apartment in New York. However, since Gregor's journeys down below, they had moved to his uncles farm in Virginia. Due to certain business related things, his uncle was almost never present, so they basically had the entire place to themselves.

It was a generous arrangement, really. As long as Gregor's family helped pay bills, and kept the house clean, they were allowed to stay. And with Gregor's school only being a few miles or so away, things were simple.

Both of his parents now had well-paying jobs as well. His father was once again a science teacher, teaching the 12th grade, and his mother became a nurse, putting her college experience to good use.

With a now steady flow of income, his family could afford luxuries they previously could not, such as cellphones. True, Gregor had had a cheap emergency phone previously, but he now had a smart phone, which he used to keep in contact with his friends. Of course, Gregor felt it constantly vibrating as he ate breakfast.

Soon after Breakfast, Gregor pulled out his phone, afraid of what he might see. As expected, he had 17 unread messages. Four were from his friend Gage, and the other 13 were from his other friend Lillie.

Geez. Can't she lay off a bit?

If you didn't know better, it would seen as if Lillie was in love with Gregor, when in reality, she was in love with Gage, and was seeking Gregor out for help. An a,used smile covered Gregor's face as he read the messages. As expected, is was an assortment of questions pertaining to Gage. What was funny, was that Gage's messages had been questions about Lillie.

From Gregor's perspective, it was painfully obvious that they were madly in love with each other. However, due to their shyness, neither of them acted on their feelings. Gregor wanted them to get together, but he believed that they needed to work it out themselves, and that he should not intervene.

As Gregor was typing up a few responses, he glanced out of the window, only to see his bus in the distance, steadily coming closer. Putting his phone away, he slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed out the door, bidding farewell to his mother. His father, being a teacher, would already be at school, and his sisters would still be asleep. As to be expected, of course, since it was only six in the morning (A/N: that's when my bus comes).

Gregor made it to the bus just as it slowed to a stop at the mouth of his driveway. Climbing on, he made his way to the very back, where he sat himself down across from Gage.

Gage was of average height and size. With deep blue eyes, and a head of black hair, he was average looking. Girls didn't go crazy over him, but they didn't dislike him either.

As a football player, he was constantly surrounded by the "popular" jocks. It was only his kind selfless personality that kept him from becoming one of them. Frankly, he didn't like the idea of being popular anyway. Too much attention.

As the bus sped up once more, Gregor and Gage engaged in some small talk. Considering the time, their conversation was very lively. Through the use of Echolocation, Gregor could tell that Gage was looking at him. Or more specifically, Ares claw, and the scars showing on his neck.

Over the years, Gage had learned not to push it. When he first met Gregor, he had been very depressed, and empty. Whatever had happened, it was clearly a painful memory, and he had made clear on several occasions that he did not want to speak of it.

However painful, Gage still wished he would share it. They had been best friends for the past four years, and Gregor still would not tell him, or anybody else, for that matter. All the more reason no to push it. To keep something so large from your best friend for so long. . . Whatever happened, it must have been serious.

Occasionally, he had caught glances of a picture Gregor always kept on him. He couldn't get a clear view, but it seemed as if it was a picture of him and a weird looking girl. He had his guesses as to who she was, but judging by the emotions on his face as he viewed the picture, she was very, very important to him.

For the large remained or the ride, they sat in silence. However, soon they came upon an average house, and Gage strained up immediately. He watched nervously as a girl stepped onto the bus. She had long, chestnut brown hair, and striking green eyes. Her name was Lillie.

Gage felt as if his stomach was caving inwards, and almost died when she sat down next to him, blushing madly. However, he failed to notice the blushing, or how she was just as nervous as he was.

He had been in love with her since the day they met, seven years ago. They had been very close friends for a long time, and being so close to her when he knew she didn't love him was burning him from the inside out.

They were all too tired to do much more than mumble a few hellos. From Lillie's stop, it was about ten minutes to school. Within three, Gage stiffened completely and he held something on his shoulder. Looking over, he found that Lillie had fallen asleep, and her head had fallen on him. He tensed up even more, but then forced himself to relax. It would be uncomfortable for her if he was tense.

Repositioning himself for her comfort, he looked down at her face. She was adorable, and seemed so peaceful while asleep, with a faint smile upon her lips. He couldn't help but smile, unaware of the pictures Gregor was taking of them.

Soon they arrived at school, and Gage was reluctant to get up. But as it happened, he had no choice but to lightly shake Lillie awake, and watch her yawn, completely unaware of the position they had been in.

They spent mere moments at their lockers, already having most everything they need on them. All too soon, the bell rang, and they found themselves sitting at their desks in homeroom.

Usually, the teacher would quickly take attendance, and then they would be on their ways. So when the teacher, Mr. Cutro, stepped to the front of the classroom, everybody was slightly surprised.

Everybody's eyes lit up as he announced a school field trip. Seeing as they were currently learning about the pre-historic age in history, they would be going to the museum of natural history. It would take place next week, and they would be staying at a hotel which the school has rented out for this trip.

Lillie and Gage, while excited, could not help but notice how Gregor had tensed. How the light had left his eyes, as if he had become devoid of all emotions. It was almost as if he was damming a river of emotions, closing himself up.

Almost as if something he had forced himself to forget, was re-emerging.

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><p><strong>So, I hope you guys liked the chapter! I put a lot of thought into it, and I have a great conflict set up to focus the story around. I tried to make it more realistic than WOTM (War of the Myriapods). In reality, Gregor would move on and accept that he was never going back. However, some parts of him are forever changed and will never leave him. I think this is realistic, at least more so than WOTM.<strong>

**So, I can't promise a set schedule. However, I do intend to update at least every month, preferably every week. I'll try to keep on top of that, but don't hope for too much.**

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><p><strong>Question: What do you guys think the main conflict will be? Remember, whoever answers right will be mentioned next chapter.<strong>

**Authors Question: What do you guys think of Gage and Lillie? **

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><p><strong>And so, I bid you all farewell!<strong>

**Bis Bald,**

**-Tytonic**


	2. Chapter 2: Picture

** Hello people and welcome back! So, I got great feedback last chapter, so I guess you guys like this so far. A few of you took a shot at the question last chapter, but none of you got it. You won't find out the answer this chapter either so the question well be the same. The title is a huge hint, by the way. Well, I guess I'll see you guys after the chapter!**

**Bis Bald!**  
><strong>-Tytonic<strong>

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Underland Chronicles, nor do I claim to. I do, however, hold rights over the characters and plot I create.<strong>

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><p><strong>Gregor and the War of Severance<strong>

**Chapter 2: Picture**

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><p>Lillie and Gage, while excited, could not help but notice how Gregor had tensed. How the light had left his eyes, as if he had become devoid of all emotions. It was almost as if he was damming a river of emotions, closing himself up.<br>Almost as if something he had forced himself to forget, was re-emerging.

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><p><strong>-O-<strong>

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><p>Gregor's entire body tensed as those words registered in his mind. They were going to New York. The place were he had made both the happiest and most macabre memories of his existence.<br>As the weight of it began to set in, visions began to flash across his vision. Horrible memories that he had tried his best to forget about.

_The wind whistled around Gregor as he and Ares twisted towards the bane, taking advantage of a small opening. Within seconds, the bane's foreleg was in front of Gregor. Plunging his sword into the soft flash, Gregor felt satisfaction wash over him.  
>However, the feeling was short lived, as Gregor realized the situation they were in.<br>"Get out!" He cried. "Get out, Ares!"  
>Everything slowed down as the bane caught Ares's wing, and whipped him around so they were face to face. Take could not tear his eyes away as the bane sunk his teeth into Ares's neck.<br>"Ares!" He cried. "No!"_

Snapping back to his senses, Gregor felt a wave of sickness wash over him. He felt his chest tighten up. Feeling horrible, he dropped his head into his hands, willing the sickness away. Feeling slightly better, he looked up only to see Lillie and Gage both looking at him in worry. This was the last this he saw, before his world fell into darkness.

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><p><strong>~Gage~<strong>

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><p>Gage's eyes widened with surprise as Gregor collapsed, hitting his head on the corner if the desk, and continuing towards the floor. Every head in the room snapped towards the resounding crash, as Gregor's body hit the floor.<p>

While several people, including Gage and Lillie, rushed to help him, the school delinquent, Dylan, and his friends began to laugh. The teacher immediately shut them up, but their grins were still evident.

Hearing this, Gage wanted very badly to beat the shit out of them right then and there. However, Gregor took priority.

Picking him up as best he could, he began to carry Gregor to the nurse. Nobody in the classroom attempted to stop him, knowing exactly what he was doing. Lillie helped, holding Gregor's other side. Despite her small build, she was more than capable of holding Gregor up. At the age of sixteen, Gregor was only five foot three, and fairly skinny.

Despite this, Gage knew better than to underestimate him. On several occasions, he had seen Gregor's inhuman reflexes and speed. He could only imagine what Gregor done to acquire such speed. Whatever is was, he got the feeling that it wasn't pleasant.

Gage sighed with relief as he entered the nurses office, and laid Gregor down on one of the beds. Once he made sure he was down properly, he sank back into one of the chairs to wait, as the nurse began to inspect Gregor. Lillie did the same soon after.

Gage and Lillie simultaneously let out sighs of relief as the nurse told them that Gregor was okay. He showed no signs of sickness or previous injury. Once Gage told her about Gregor's look right before passing out, she nodded in understanding.

"Ahh yes, that explains it. It is possible for somebody to pass out due to emotional distress. He will be fine, and should wake up soon. In fact, I would not be surprised if he woke up right now." She explained.

Knowing that they couldn't spend their day watching over Gregor, Gage and Lillie took their leave. They went back to homeroom to gather their book, and straight to their first class.

It was only in science class when Gregor returned. He walked into the room, a sullen look on his face, attempting to ignore the stares of others. It came as no surprise to Gage that everybody knew about the "incident" with Gregor. Word travels fast in high school.

Gregor sat down next to Gage and took out his notebook. They were currently taking notes on a few pages in the science book.

Gage turned to Gregor. "Gregor, what exactly happened? Are you okay?"

Gregor did not turn to look at him. "I'm fine. Just got a little dizzy is all."

"Gregor, we know you better than that. Whats wrong? Why won't you tell us?" Lille Said, worry lacing her voice.

Gregor sighed in defeat. He knew they would not leave him alone unless he said something. "I just. . . Remembered something, okay? I really don't want to talk about it."

Gage was about to press on, but stopped as Lillie shook her head. They shouldn't pry. However, he knew Lillie was thinking the same thing he was.

_What type of memory causes you to pass out? What exactly is Gregor hiding from us?_

Gage had always known that Gregor was hiding something. From the picture he always has with him, to the claw necklace he always holds, to the scars that he had barley caught glances of, something was up.

Letting out a sigh, Gage turned back to his science book and continued taking notes.

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><p><strong>~Gregor~<strong>

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><p>Gregor sighed in relief as he walked out of the science room. While his dad was a science teacher, he himself disliked science. Or rather, most science. He took a keen interest in Geography.<p>

They stopped at their lockers and put all of their books away. Soon after, they walked to lunch. The entire time, Gregor was deep in thought.

_Thank god they didn't pry. I really don't want to explain everything to them. Then again, we've been friends for quite a while. . . Maybe I should tell them. I mean, what type of friend am I, keeping such a large secret away from them?_

He sighed.

_I want to tell them. . . I want somebody to talk to about all of this. But I can't tell them. They would think I'm crazy. . . They might even distance themselves from me._

This train of thought left Gregor's head as they entered the cafeteria. The smell of food filled his nose. Not very good food, but food nonetheless.

Sitting down at their table, they began to talk about the upcoming field trip. Gregor managed to push the memories away this time.

"So, you guys going?" Lillie asked. "I know I am! I've never been to New York!"

Gregor spoke first, albeit his voice was lower than usual. "Yeah, I think I'm going. It's been forever since I was there."

"I'll go. I doubt my mom would let me skip it anyway." Gage added.

Within a few minutes, their table was called up, and they came back with lunch. Pizza, to be specific. Needless to say, it didn't last very long.

As Gregor stood up to take his tray back up, he heard a voice behind him.

"Have a nice nap, freak?"

He immediately matched the voice to it's owner, Dylan. He didn't really care about a few guys teasing him. He'd been through much worse. Ignoring him, Gregor continued to walk his tray up, unaware of what Dylan was picking up off of the ground.

As he walked back to his table, he froze in place as he saw what Dylan had in his hand. When did it fall out? He noticed him and looked up.

"Nice girlfriend you got here. I mean, she's perfect for you, with that freakish look and all."

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><p><strong>~Mixed~<strong>

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><p>What Dylan had just said peaked Gage's interest. It confirmed what he had though. The picture, which Gregor always kept with him, was of a weird looking girl. Though, who exactly is she?<p>

That thought was completely forgotten as he saw Gregor's face. His expression was blank, but his eyes were another story. They parked with rage. A very deep rage. Gage was afraid of what was going to happen.

"Give. It. Back." Gregor Growled though clenched teeth.

Dylan laughed. "A little mad, are we?"

Grinning, Dylan walked up to Gregor, and held out the photo. But just before Gregor could take it, Dylan withdrew his hand. Two pieces of paper floated to the ground moments later, preceded by a ripping noise.

Dylan Laughed once again, but stopped the second he saw Gregor's face. He instantly realized that he made a mistake. A really big mistake. This realization came in the form of a fist. To the face.

By now, the entire lunchroom was watching. Gregor, the guy that most people had hardly even heard of, had just punched Dylan in the face. Dylan, the school delinquent.

Dylan stumbled back a couple meters, holding his nose in pain. Large amounts of blood came out from between his fingers, but that didn't seem to bother him. He had taken hits before. He could stand it.

Regaining his balance, Dylan charged at Gregor. It was too fast to tell exactly how it happened, but Dylan face planted on the ground, while Gregor remained standing.

_What the hell is this guys problem? _He thought. _It was just a ****ing picture!_

Rolling over so that he was facing Gregor Dylan pulled something out of the inside of his sweatshirt. Everybody in the room froze.

"Nobody humiliates me, you bastard!" Dylan shouted, followed by an ear-shattering boom.

He grinned as the gun went off. Nobody, absolutely_ nobody_, made him look bad.

His grin immediately died, as no body hit the floor. Did he miss? No, he hadn't missed. His shot had been spot on. Gregor had just anticipated the shot, and avoided it. Mostly.

There was no time to fire off a second shot, as Gregor's boot connected with his temple. He felt his entire world spin, and laid there helplessly as everything went black.

Gregor then jumped down onto Dylan, and punched him in the jaw several times. Grabbing Dylan's head, he prepared to smash it onto the ground beneath, but hardly managed to hold himself back. Had he gone through with it, it would have surely killed Dylan.

Standing back up, Gregor walked over to where the picture lay in pieces. Nobody failed to notice the thick stream of blood running down his left arm. It seems he had no entirely avoided the bullet. It had skinned him. Nothing serious, but painful nonetheless.

Reaching down, Gregor picked up both halves of the picture. He sighed as he saw the rip in the center, going right in-between him and Luxa. Standing back up, he ignored the yells of the teachers as he walked away.

One grabbed his arm, and yanked him around. He came face-to-face with his father. Of course, his father was a 12th grade science teacher, so he would be in the same building. He had probably come running when he heard the gunshot.

Gregor glared at him. Noticing the ripped picture in his hand, his father gave a barley noticeable nod, and let go of Gregor's arm. Gregor would have smiled, knowing his father understood, had he not been in such a mood.

Stepping out of the doors, he felt a warm breeze blow. Taking a deep breath of air, he broke out into a run. Running always helped to clear his mind.

He stopped by the town park, breathing heavily. Looking out over a pond, he took in his surroundings. Birds sang happily in the air, bugs chirped, and frogs croaked. It was a peaceful, serene moment.

Looking down at his hands, he saw that they were coated in blood.

_This world isn't for me. I don't belong here. . . I belong there, below._

_ I belong in the Underland._

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><p><strong>And that's a wrap on it! Personally, I like this chapter. Just so you guys know, I looked up the whole fainting thing before writing it. It is entirely possible to pass out from emotional distress. I mean, something like that flashback would be enough, right? Well, whatever. It fits. <strong>

** So, I will try to keep to this schedule. Updating every Saturday, that it. Well. . . it's 7 minutes into Sunday right now, but you get my point.**

** So, I'll see you guys later, I guess.**

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><p><strong> Edit: Gregor had not moved on entirely in the first place, and the fact that he still carries Ares's claw and Luxa's picture with him proves that. He didn't move on, he just managed to accept his new life.<strong>

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><p><strong>Question: How will Gregor end up in the Underland? C'mon, we all know it's going to happen.<strong>

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><p><strong>Tytonic: So, how'd you like it?<strong>

**Dylan: *Slumps to floor unconscious* **

**Tytonic: Well put. Gregor?**

**Gregor: *Glares at Tytonic***

**Tytonic: Oh suck it up, it was just a picture. The real things much better anyway. I mean, your going to NewYork, right? We all know whats going to happen. You'll see her soon, dude.**

**Gregor: Wait, what?**

**Tytonic: Nothing, nothing.**

**Gregor: What. Did. You. Just. Say?**

**Tytonic: Nothing at all! See you later!**

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><p><strong>Bis bald!<strong>

**-Tytonic**


	3. Chapter 3: Moments

**So, hello people, and welcome back! So, first off, I'm sorry about this late update. I know this is pretty early for me to be screwing up, but there was nothing I could do about it (for once). On Friday I was given this huge project for gym (yes, for gym (correction- movement and exercise science -.-)) that was due today. I had a bunch of crap to do on Saturday (family things), and I worked on that project most of Sunday. So, I'm sorry about that, I'll try to get the next chapter out on time, even if I get a huge assignment (unlikely, since that will be during winter break).**

** You want to know what I am really unhappy about? I still have school. Tomorrow is my last day, and Christmas eve is my first day of break. Geez, cutting it close, don't you think? Sucks. **

** Oh, I got some feedback last chapter that I should address. Somebody said that it was unlikely that Gregor would move on from the Underland, like I had him do. Well, let me clarify. He hasn't moved on, he has just accepted everything, and can now live with it. If he had moved on, he would't still keep his "treasures" with him. Well, I guess I'll see you guys after the chapter!**

**Bis Bald!**  
><strong>-Tytonic<strong>

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Underland Chronicles, nor do I claim to. I do, however, hold rights over the characters and plot I create.<strong>

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><p><strong>Gregor and the War of Severance<strong>

**Chapter 3: Moments**

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><p>Looking down at his hands, he saw that they were coated in blood.<p>

_This world isn't for me. I don't belong here. . . I belong there, below._

_ I belong in the Underland._

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><p><strong>-O-<strong>

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><p>An entire weeks suspension, and another week of detentions. This is all Gregor got from everything that had occurred with Dylan. And, of course, Dylan only earned a three days suspension, despite having fired a gun at Gregor <strong>[1]<strong>.

Well, on paper, that is. Gregor had gained immense popularity from the entire event. He was the first kid ever to stand up to Dylan and get away without being seriously injured. And of course, Dylan may as well have fallen off of the social latter all together.

Unsurprisingly, the whole event made international news. "Gregor, a 16 year old boy, almost shot in lunchroom scuffle". He had gotten several invites from new channels, asking for interviews. He politely declined all of them. Questions were bad. People asked too much. Questions did not mix well with Gregor, considering his past.

Gregor's parents had been very mad with him. However, they had gone somewhat light on him. While he was grounded for a months time, his parents would not really enforce it. They knew exactly what had caused his outburst, and did not entirely blame him for it.

However, many other people did. Some thought that the entire event was his fault, because he overreacted to losing a silly picture.

_If only they knew. . ._

Despite this, nobody asked about the picture. They had enough sense to stay off of that topic. That is, everybody was too scared to ask. Everybody except Gage and Lillie.

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><p><em>Flashback<em>

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><p><em>Gage rapped his fingers on the table unconsciously as the phone continued to ring.<em>

Come on Gregor, Pick up already.

_ He sighed with relief as he finally heard a crackling noise on the other end, and then Gregor's mom's voice._

_ "Hello?"_

_ "Yes, hello. This is Gage, can I please speak with Gregor?"_

_ "Sure thing, I will put him right on. I would like to warn you though, he is not in the best of moods right now."_

No crap, he just beat up a kid over some picture.

_"Hello?"_

_ "Oh, hey Gregor, hows it going?"_

_ "Good."_

_ "So, what exactly is up?"_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "You just beat a guy up over a picture." Gage said. "Care to explain?"_

_ ". . ."_

_ "How about this. The picture is of a weird looking girl, am I right? Who exactly is she?"_

_ ". . ."_

_ "Gregor?"_

_ "She was somebody from New York, and that was the only picture I had of her. . . She was important to me. . . more so than you could imagine. . ."_

_ "Was?"_

_ "I'll probably never see her again. I bet she has moved on, anyway. I just. . . I can't. Not after everything we have been through together."_

_ "Care to explain?"_

_ ". . ."_

_ "Gregor?"_

_ ". . ."_

_ "Okay, we'll work on that later." He said. "So, you said she's from New York, right?"_

_ "Well, Yeah, kind of."_

_ "Kind of? Well whatever. We're going to New York on that field trip. I don't know if you will be allowed to come after all that has happened, but you might."_

_ "Your point?"_

_ "We'll get a few hours of free time in the big apple, were we can do whatever. Why don't we see if we can find her?"_

_ "We can't"_

_ "What? We haven't even looked, how would you know?"_

_ "Gage, you wouldn't understand. I will never see her again, and there is nothing that can be done about that."_

_ "Wait, wha-"_

_ "Sorry Gage, I have to go."_

_ Before Gage could respond, he heard the crackling you generally hear when somebody hangs up on you. _

Did he just hang up on me? Seriously, what's up with him? I was only trying to help. Well whatever, It'll blow over. At least this explains why he has never asked a girl out, and turns down everyone who asks him. He already loves a girl, and just can't move on.

I feel for you bro, I feel for you.

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><p><em>Flashback End<em>

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><p>Of course, Lillie has also called Gregor in a similar fashion, but he had hung up after telling her to ask Gage about it. She was delighted to find that there was somebody Gregor loved. For the longest time, she had thought he was either gay, or was afraid. She felt bad for him though. Loving somebody and no being able to see them was pure torture. Especially if they loved you back.<p>

And so, the day of the field trip rolled around. Gregor quickly found himself very nervous. What if he had to go back to the Underland? He would love seeing everybody, but at what cost? Why would he have to return? What if he had to take up arms once more, and defend the people of Regalia, bearing the name of Warrior?

_Your over thinking it, Gregor. The humans and gnawers are at peace now. . . there should be no issues. Right?_

Gregor found that thinking about it only made it worse. He knew that everything would turn out fine, and that there would be no issues, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen.

Gregor slung his duffel bag over his back. It contained the essentials for travel. Plus a powerful flashlight with some extra batteries. Even with echolocation, one could never be too careful.

As he approached his front door, he heard his mothers voice calling to him. "Greagor honey, have fun. And the answer is no. It will always be no."

Gregor rolled his eyes. She had drilled it into his head that he was to have nothing to do with the Underland. "Love you to mom. See you later."

Walking out of his house, he let the cool morning air fill his lungs. It would be a few days before he could breath this air once more. The air in New York was not the same, after all, not by a long shot.

He had to run up his driveway to catch his bus in time. The bus was just pulling up when he arrived, panting. He quickly boarded, and took his usual seat across from Gage. They did not exchange any words, despite this being the first time they had sen each other in an entire week.

Gregor had been surprised to find that he was going to be allowed on the trip. It was his first day back, after all.

By the time they reached Lillie's house, Gage was out cold. Lillie sat next to him, as usual, and seemed as if she were struggling to stay awake. Gregor was not surprised; it was very early in the morning, after all. He was not surprised either, when Lillie nodded off, and her head fell onto Gage's lap.

Gregor wasted no time in taking a picture. He had quite a few pictures like this; he was saving them for when Gage and Lillie finally got together. It was quite obvious that they liked each other, but they seemed oblivious. If Gregor didn't know better, he would say they already were a couple. All they needed was a little push, but Gregor wasn't going to do that. They needed to work it out on their own.

To be exact, Gregor now had 67 of these photos. They ranged all of they way from hugs, to sleeping on the bus like this. Gregor knew they were going to kill him when they found out, but would be grateful to him in the end.

He planned to make a scrap book out of them, and give it as a gift to the two of them when they got together.

_Why exactly do I do this? I want to say that it's just an act of kindness, but I think it's more. I think I'm driven to what I once had, but lost. I feel empty without it, and am trying to fill it someway. I feel pathetic._

They soon arrived at school. Gregor bumped Gage's head with his bag to wake him up. Of course, Gage blushed madly when he found Lillie asleep with her head in his lap. Gregor laughed at the sight, and laughed again when Gage woke Lillie up, and she had the same reaction. Those two were adorable together. Gregor couldn't understand why they hadn't gotten together yet.

As Gregor walked through the hallways to get to his homeroom, he got many looks from people. Some people were happy to see him, others not so much. Several people even went as far as to pat him on the back and congratulate him.

_Why are they congratulating me? I didn't really do anything worth congratulating. . . quite the opposite, actually._

He caught the lovey dovey looks of a few of the more popular girls. The ones who could get almost any boy they wanted. Emphasis on _almost_. Gregor didn't like that type of girl, nor did he like the suggestive winks a few of them gave him.

As he entered homeroom, he was positively delighted to find Dylan there.

_I bet he had a gun on him. I doubt he was searched, despite what happened. It's people like him who ruin this world._

Dylan gave Gregor a death glare as soon as he saw him. Of course, Gregor ignored this. It was simple to ignore somebody when they were clearly afraid of you.

No time was wasted with getting onto the buses. Two homerooms a bus, several buses. Of course, Gregor, Gage, and Lillie were in the same homeroom, so they were on the same bus.

Evidently, the trio got onto the bus first, and quickly took the back seats. All of their luggage was being taken in a truck, so they didn't have it with them.

Settling into his seat, Gregor popped some earbuds into his ears, and began to listen to music. He listened to smooth, soothing music. Music that could take him out of this world, and put all of his worries to rest.

He smiled lightly when, out of the corner of his eye, he say Lillie rest her head on Gage's shoulder. And this time, both of the were fully awake.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I would have made this longer, but I felt that it would be best to end it here, and then make another chapter put of his time in New York. It should work out smoothly. So, not much happened this chapter. Sorry about that, but it had to be done. So, you may have noticed that I focus heavily on romance. Well, get used to it. The Gluxa will be real =D. <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>1- This may seem unrealistic, but I have seen it happen on the news several times. Some kid with a fishing knife in his car gets expelled, and the one with a loaded gun in class gets a few days suspension. Logic at it's finest people.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Question: What will happen while Gregor is in New York?<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Tytonic: So, how'd you like it?<strong>

**Lillie: *Jumps when she realizes somebody is watching* *Quickly takes head off of Gage's shoulder***

**Gregor: It was okay, I guess. Nothing happened though. But then again, it could be much worse.**

**Tytonic: You have no idea. . .**

**Gage: I think it was nice. I slept well, thats for sure.**

**Tytonic: No crap, you had a cute girl sleeping on you the entire time.**

**Lillie: C-cute?**

**Tytonic: Wait, what? Well, anyways, good luck guys!**

**Lillie: Why do we need luck? Is there something we should know?**

**Tytonic: *Gives devilish grin* See you guys later!**

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><p><strong>Until next time,<strong>

**-Tytonic**


	4. Chapter 4: Into the Depths

** Hello guys/gals and welcome back, and merry Christmas, albeit a little late. So, I must address an important matter. What all did you guys get for Christmas? Out of the things I got, I would have to say my favorite thing is Far Cry 4, closely followed by Little Bits (just look them up if you don't know).**

** Ok, now onto more writing oriented matters. I am aware of my mistake last chapter where I used Alex, instead of Gage. Sorry, I don't know what happened there, but it's been fixed now, and I will try to refrain from doing it again. **

** So, I will answer a few questions I have been getting. How much Gluxa will there be? A lot. Are you a girl? Why would you need to know that? No, I'm a guy. How much does Luxa miss Gregor? I will not answer that as of now. Will there be cookies? Yes, and cake to. I think we might also have some candy around here. . . Ah! Here it is! So, I guess I'll see you guys after the chapter!**

**Bis bald!**

**-Tytonic**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Underland Chronicles, nor do I claim to. I do, however, hold rights over the characters and plot I create. <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Gregor and the War of Severance<strong>

**Chapter 4: Into the Depths**

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><p>He smiled lightly when, out of the corner of his eye, he say Lillie rest her head on Gages shoulder. And this time, both of the were fully awake.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>-O-<strong>

* * *

><p>For a seven hour drive, it seemed to go by fairly quick. Of course, that may have been due to the fact that Gregor fell asleep for most of the ride. However, he got to see some pretty interesting things while he was awake.<p>

He could watch as the landscape changed, and the entire world morphed before his very eyes. Of course, he was occasionally distracted. The entire time, Gage and Lillie were basically cuddling. Any closer, and Lillie would be sitting in Gage's lap.

This made Gregor smile. It was nice to know that they were making some progress. However, it was always amusing when somebody on the bus pointed it out, and they both scooted away, blushing madly. It only took minutes for them to return to their previous position.

Of all the distractions, that was the best case. It was slightly more distraction when some girls in front of Gregor began to flirt with him. While it became very clear very quickly what they wanted, Gregor was not happy. Just because he beat up a kid who was basically asking for it, he was suddenly popular among the girls? He had already had several girls approach him. Needless to say, he declined them all.

However, Dylan was the most distracting.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

* * *

><p><em> "Yo, Gregs, whats up?" Dylan called from a few seats up.<em>

_ Gregor knew that he would be judged by whatever he said. He entire bus even went silent so they could hear. Marvelous._

_ Gregor wasn't very good at comebacks, but he could manage. All of the kids in his school were unbelievably dim-witted, so it was not difficult to please them. Even the worst of comebacks should work just fine._

_ "Nothing that would concern you."_

_ "C'mon dude, let me see."_

Why is he doing this? It'll only make him look stupid. More so than he already is.

_"See what? My ass? Sorry, but I'm saving that for somebody worth my time."_

_ Even with that crude, immature comeback, Gregor could still see how effective it was. Every head snapped to Dylan to see what his response would be._

_ "Like who? That freak Girlfriend of yours?"_

_ Word had spread fairly quickly as to what Gregor's picture was of. As a result, everybody knew what Dylan meant._

_ Just for insulting Luxa, Gregor wanted to beat the crap out of Dylan again. He couldn't though, not on the bus. Dylan understood this._

_ "My _freak _girlfriend? Take a look in the mirror, man. You ain't looking so hot yourself."_

_ "At least I can get decent girls though."_

That's seriously the best he can come up with?

_"True, I'll give you that." Gregor said. "But at least I don't hold them at gun point first."_

_ The entire bus went dead silent. Even the teachers at the front seemed to be waiting for Dylan's response. And Gregor was not surprised one bit by what Dylan said next._

_ "But dude, Girls love my gun. It's so big, and hits real hard. I've got chicks flocking to it."_

_ "Seriously? That's the best you can do? When you get backed into a corner, you make a dick joke? God, it's easier to talk to my six year old sister. Even she seems to have more of a brain than you."_

_ "Is it now? Dude, even she would want my big gu-"_

_ "Do you want me to kill you? It sure seems like it."_

_ The venom in Gregor's voice was enough to shut Dylan up, and his eyes were just like last time. Gregor was not joking around._

_ Had they not been on the bus, this conversation would have landed Dylan in the hospital for a good half a year. Minimum. Gregor was still unable to control his rager. He was getting much better at holding it back when he got mad, but when it broke lose, he couldn't hold back. When he first fought Dylan, he had hardly held himself back. A moment more and Dylan would be dead._

_ Slowly, the bus returned to normal, and kids continued their conversations where they had left off. However, the events that had just occurred never really left anybodies mind._

* * *

><p><em>Flashback End<em>

* * *

><p>Gregor flopped onto his Hotel room bed, exhausted from the trip. Funny how that worked. He was sitting for seven hours, and he was exhausted from it. Several feet to the right, Gage proceeded to do the same.<p>

Before they had arrived at the hotel, they had worked out rooms on the bus. You could choose who you would share a room with, as long as they were in your homeroom. Girls were not allowed to share rooms with guys, much to Gage's disappointment.

Despite being exhausted, Gregor, Gage, and Lillie were going to walk around the city. Having never been to New York, Gage and Lillie really wanted to see some of the sights it had to offer.

They had arrived in New York around four o'clock. Because of this, they would not have time to go to the museum and drive back home. So, the kids would have the rest of the day to themselves, and they would go to the museum the next day, then drive back.

However, they also wanted to see Gregor's old apartment. Because it was closer than any of the other places they wanted to visit, they were going to go there first. While Gregor was not looking forward to showing his friends his old apartment, he did want to see Mrs. Cormaci again. After all, she was one of the few people he knew who knew about the underland. On top of that, he wouldn't be alive if it were not for her.

Begrudgingly, Gregor dragged himself off of the bed. He would have plenty of time to sleep later. Stretching slightly, he began to dig through his bag. Shortly after, he pulled out a pocket sized flashlight. It was very powerful for it's size. While Gregor, knowing echolocation, did not need it, he would not be caught without a light in New York. Better to be safe than sorry.

He made his way over to the door of his room and walked out into the hallway. He found Lillie already waiting for them. Behind him, Gage came out of the room.

"Ready?" Gregor inquired.

"Yes!" Lillie exclaimed. "I can't wait to see your old apartment!"

"You already know that my family used to be very poor. It's nothing to get exited about."

"I want to see it too, Gregor." Gage added. "C'mon, let's go."

The walk was not very fun, but it was nice. It soothed Gregor. The crowded, noisy streets were one of the things he had always incorporated with home.

Soon enough, they arrived at his old apartment building. It hadn't changed too much, aside from the paint. More had chipped off over the years. While he had not been able to see it while living there, the place looked very run down. It almost looked like it was abandon.

He could see the surprise on his friends faces. While they knew he had been very poor, they hadn't thought that he had been _this _poor. It was kind of embarrassing for him.

Walking through the front doors, Gregor was hit with a musky smell. He knew it had always been there; he had just been too used to it to notice. Hit friends visibly cringed.

He couldn't help sparing a glance at the stairs that went down to the laundry room as they went up. So many memories, both good and bad. All too soon, they reached his old apartment. Much to Gregor's relief, the door was locked. It seemed that somebody else had moved in. Otherwise, the door would not have been locked.

"Ohh, come on. I wanted to look inside." Lillie groaned. "Oh well. We still have to meet your old neighbor, right?"

Gregor responded with a small nod, and turned around. Walking a few steps, he stopped in front of another door. Knocking softly, he heard footsteps inside. Within moments, the door opened, and he was met with a familiar face. He didn't have time to respond though, before he was caught in a bear hug.

"Ahh, Gregor! It's so nice to see you again! Ohh, you've grown so much!"

"Hey, it's nice to see you too, Mrs. Cormaci." Gregor responded.

Pulling away, Mrs. Cormaci saw Gage and Lillie. "Oh, hello! You must be Gregor's friends! Such good friends you have Gregor. A nice strong young man, and and pretty young lady."

While Gage blushed, Lillie extended her hand and smiled. "My name is Lillie. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cormaci." She paused for a second, then continued. "And this is Gage. He's just to shy to introduce himself."

Surprisingly, it was true. While Gage was very friendly, he was shy around new people. Once he gets to know them, however, that changes.

They exchanged a few more words before Mrs. Cormaci invited them in. As they settled down into the couch, Mrs. Cormaci handed Gregor something from the table. Gregor's heart leapt into his throat when he saw what it was.

It was a scroll, and on the outside it was labeled "Gregor". Without a word, he quickly broke the seal on it, and unraveled the paper. He found that it was a letter.

* * *

><p><em>Dear Gregor,<em>

_ I have been informed that you will be returning to New York temporarily. Before I proceed, allow me to apologize. If you have moved on from everything, and do not wish to remember, do not read on. Again, I am sorry of what I may ask._

_ We need your help once more. Regalia is facing a threat like no other, and may not survive without help. I would like to go into greater detail, but cannot through letter. If you wish to learn more, we must speak face to face._

_ I have asked Ripred to deliver this message. If, by any chance, you have received this, then please help. I, no, Regalia, begs for your help._

_ There will be several fliers stationed at the central park gateway for the next few days. Ripred will be there as well._

_Fly you high,_

_-Luxa_

_ P.S. I miss you greatly, and look forward to seeing you once more. (heart goes here (fanfiction won't let me put it in))  
><em>

* * *

><p>A million thoughts flew threw Gregor's head in an instant.<p>

_They need me? I need to go back to the Underland? I can see Luxa again! Does she still love me? She did include a heart. . . Maybe she hasn't let go? I hope she hasn't. If she has, I don't know what I'll do."_

Out of all the thoughts that went through Gregor's head, the strongest was "_I'm going back_".

He looked back up at Mrs. Cormaci with a questioning gaze. She smiled back.

"I have kept in contact with them all these years, just in case." She explained. "But this letter was given to me directly. Ripred came and delivered it. He told me to give it to you the second I saw you. I haven't read it, but he said it was of the utmost importance."

Gregor nodded, and slipped the scroll into his pocket.

"Who's Ripred?" Lillie asked. "And what does the scroll say? Actually, why a scroll?"

"Ripred is. . . Well, you can't really put it into words. . . and don't ask me why it's a scroll. Probably so they don't have to fold the paper."

"Who?" Gage asked.

"Not important." Gregor responded. "Now, we have to go, Mrs. Cormaci. We have a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it. See you."

As they left the room, Mrs. Cormaci waved farewell to them. They waved back.

Gregor's friends continued to bombard him with questions related to the letter, but he managed to dodge their questions. They didn't need to know about the underland.  
>And so, the rest of the day went rather quickly for Gregor. They went to many places, and saw many things. While none of it was new to him, Gage and Lillie were amazed by everything they saw.<p>

By the time the sun went down, they decided to call it a day. Instead of walking back to their hotel, they grabbed a taxi. This was nice, considering their legs, which were sore from all of the walking they had done.

When Gregor and Gage got to their room, they both fell into bed without changing. They were both exhausted from the days events, and wanted nothing more than to sleep. It took only minutes for them both to fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Several hours later. . .<em>

* * *

><p>Gage stirred slightly in bed as he was awoken by a shuffling noise. Opening his eyes, he turned, only to see that Gregor was missing. Turning again, he looked at the clock. 2:17. Where on Earth would Gregor be at this time? His shoes where gone too, so he wasn't just in the bathroom.<p>

Sliding out of bed, Gage put on his shoes. He hadn't changed before getting into bed, so he already had his clothing on.

He walked out of his room, only to see Gregor disappear around the far corner. It only took a moment for him to decided to follow.

A floor and a half later, he came to Lillie's room. He decided to bring her along. Knocking softly, he was surprised when the door opened several seconds later.

"That was fast." Gage said.

Lillie grinned at him. "I couldn't sleep."

"Ahh. So, I'm following Gregor. I have no idea where he's going. Care to join me?" He asked.

Lillie nodded, and appeared at her door shortly after. Apparently she hadn't changed either, and only needed to slip a pair of flip-flops on. They only had to walk a little faster than before to catch up to Gregor, but when they did, it was at the entrance to the building.

They continued to follow him for several minutes. As they did, they became increasingly interested in where Gregor was going. This interest peaked when they came to central park, and Gregor stopped by a rock. Looking down at it, Gregor made a licking noise. They froze when he quickly looked towards them.

* * *

><p><strong>~Gregor~<strong>

* * *

><p>As Gregor reached the entrance to the underland, he paused. With echolocation, he had noticed two people following him. However, he paid them no mind. New York, even at night, was a busy place. They probably weren't following him. When he reached the rock, however, he noticed them stop behind a bush. It couldn't just be a coincidence.<p>

And so, he clicked his tongue. Normally, he used echolocation with his breathing, and other sounds. While this worked just fine, it wasn't too effective. It couldn't reach farther than twenty feet, on a good day. When he clicked, however, he could "see" everything within a fifty foot radius. Up to seventy, on a good day.

And so, he found that Gage and Lillie had been following him.

_God, how could I have been so stupid? I can't take them back, they would refuse. If I leave them, they will follow me down and get themselves lost in the darkness. I could try throwing them off, but it's too late. They already know that I see them, and where I was going. If I leave now, they will know I'm trying to throw them off. They aren't so stupid as to be fooled by such a simple tactic. Is my only choice really to bring them with me? I can't go back to the hotel and come later. They would ask too many questions, and I wouldn't get the chance to come back._

_ My only choice is to bring them with me. I can try to persuade them not to come, but they won't listen. This is bad. . ._

Gregor motioned for them to come over to him. As they both came out of hiding, they hung their heads. He could see that they expected to get in trouble with him.

"You guys have no idea what you have gotten involved in by following me. . ."

Gage tried to talk, but Gregor cut him off. "I would tell you to leave right now, but you wouldn't listen. So you have to come with me. If you don't stay with me, you'll get lost, and that would be very bad."

Both of them stood still trying to make sense of what Gregor had said. Before they could, however, Gregor reached down and slid the rock away, revealing a staircase. They quickly came back to their senses, and followed Gregor as he went down. He slid the rock back into place behind them.

Gage and Lillie couldn't see a thing, but jumped slightly when Gregor turned on a very bright light, and handed it to Gage. Gage took the light, and looked around the cave. It seemed to be an old sewer which was no longer used.

He quickly made to follow Gregor when he began to walk away. He had no clue how Gregor could navigate in the darkness, but he didn't question it. They walked for a few minutes, before Gage and Lillie noticed that the tunnel had turned into an actual cave.

They continued walking until Gregor stopped completely. Gage was about to question it when Gregor began to speak.

"Long time no see, Ripred." He said.

"I see you haven't forgotten your echolocation, boy." A voice responded. It seemed scratchy, almost inhuman.

Gage flashed the light around rapidly, attempting to find the source of the voice. In the end, he found nothing.

"Come, boy. We have no time to waste, you are needed." The voice said.

"Then let's hurry. Just, what about my friends?" Gregor asked.

"Bring them. Nerissa predicted this, and we have prepared several fliers." The voice responded.

"Of course she predicted this." Gregor responded, rolling his eyes.

They began to walk once more. However, this time Gage and Lillie felt like they were being watched. Gregor laughed on the inside, as Ripred pocked them with his tail, trying to freak them out. They still hadn't seen him, but Gregor though that was a good thing. They would probably freak out if they did.

Gregor came to a stop just before the turn which would reveal the hole, along with the fliers.

"Gage, Lillie. What you are about to see may freak you out. Actually, I'm not going to lie, it will probably scare the shit out of you. But don't worry. Nobody will hurt you, and you will be just fine. You may find that you like them, actually."

Gage and Lillie were both to freaked out to respond. This entire situation was messed up. Something weird was going on. However, they trusted Gregor. If he said it was okay, then it was okay.

As Gregor led them around the corner, Lillie let out a scream, and buried her face in Gage's shirt. Gage stood with wide eyes, and he tried to make sense of what he saw. There were three bats, really big bats, and a giant rat. Or, at least Gage thought it was a rat.

Gregor turned to them. "Guys, this is Ripred. The worst person you will ever meet." He turned to one of the bats. "And this would be Nike." He said, patting her on the head. She purred in response. "Sorry, but I don't know your names?"

A large, black and gold bat turned to Gregor. "Hello, Gregor. I am Atlas, and it is an honor to meet you."

"Well met, Atlas." He said, then turned to a brown bat. "And you are?"

"My name is Artemis. It is a pleasure to meet you, Warrior."

Gregor nodded in response, and turned to Gage and Lillie. "So, are you guys ready to go? You will. . . well, have to ride the bat. Or rather, the flier. Don't worry, they won't bite, and they will not let you fall. Just don't choke them to death with your legs."

Gregor led Gage and Lillie over to Nike and Artemis, where he helped them both get on.

_They are being strangely calm about this. I mean sure, Lillie did scream, but that's normal. Well, it will hit them later, and they will freak out. For now, it's making things easier._

Once Gage and Lillie were on their fliers, Gregor jumped onto Atlas. He chose Atlas, he realized, because Atlas was strangely similar to Ares.

Before long, the fliers dived down the hole. Gregor felt free and the air whipped past him, and the familiar underland smell hit him. He laughed as he heard Lillie screaming behind him. Gage was being quiet, but Gregor knew Gage loved roller coasters. This was like that. Just a lot more thrilling.

"So, Atlas, where are we going? Isn't Regalia in a different direction?" Gregor asked, when he realized that they were going the wrong way.

"We are going to the battlefield, Gregor. Luxa requires your assistance." Atlas responded.

Gregor wondered why Atlas was referring to Luxa by her name, rather than her title. He paid it no mind though. He did not call her Queen Luxa, after all.

They flew for a few minutes before Gregor heard something. The sounds of a battle. However, this battle sounded more fierce than a normal one. . . almost as if both sides were fighting for more than just survival. And all to soon, they burst out into a large cavern.

Gregor scanned the cavern, attempting to evaluate the battle, but was immediately shocked. Something wasn't right. Something was terribly wrong. He heard the gasps of horror from his friends behind him. They saw it too.

As they continued to fly past the battle, Atlas pulled up and began to fly in place as a bat fly up to meet them. Gregor's heart stopped when he saw Aurora stop in front of Atlas.

He locked eyes with the girl on Aurora's back. Four years. It had been four years, and she had only become more beautiful. However, that was not what Gregor was focused on. He was focused on her expression. She looked horrified, and scared. He could see a tear rolling down her cheek.

_Luxa was scared. Of all people, Luxa is scared. If she is scared, then things are much worse than they seem. _He looked back to the battle. _And that is really saying something._

Looking back to Luxa, Gregor took a deep breath. "Luxa, I'm back."

Somehow, the words didn't come out. They died in his throat.

This was horrible, truly horrible.

_Death, _he though, _May have become a gift._

_ No, not a gift. A blessing._

* * *

><p><strong>So, how's that for an ending? Well, he's back in the underland. But is that really a good thing right now? Who's to know? Well, you'll all find out.<strong>

** So, how did you guys like it? I think it was nice, but it feels a bit too rushed. I couldn't manage to clear that out though. Well, I did the best I could with this resolve =3. So, I guess I'll see you guys next week!**

* * *

><p><strong>Question: What's up with the battle?<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Tytonic: So, thoughts?<strong>

**Gregor: It's horrible. Something like that shouldn't happen.**

**Tytonic: Well, it's inevitable, based on Human nature.**

**Gregor: Yeah. . .**

**Luxa: *Buries face in Gregor's shirt and cries***

**Gregor: *Puts arm around her and holds her* Don't worry Lux, it'll be okay. Everything will be fine.**

**Luxa: *Continues to cry***

**Tytonic: Well, I'll see you later. . .**

**Gregor: Yeah. . .**

* * *

><p><strong>Auf Wiedersehen,<strong>

**-Tytonic**


	5. Chapter 5: Reunited

**Hello people and welcome back! Sorry, but this chapter may be late. It's Sunday night right now, and this is the first chance I have gotten all week to write. While that wouldn't normally be a problem, I don't have much time, and might not be able to finish this tonight. Again, I'm sorry.**

** Okay, so only one person guessed the question correctly. However, this person was a guest, so I don't know their name.**

** School tomorrow. I have to go back again. . . I am really not ready for it. Mainly waking up at 6.**

** So, I'll see you guys after the chapter!**

**See you soon,**

**-Tytonic**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Underland Chronicles, nor do I claim to. I do, however, hold rights over the characters and plot I create. <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Gregor and the War of Severance<strong>

**Chapter 5: Reunited**

* * *

><p>This was horrible, truly horrible.<p>

_Death, _he though, _May have become a gift._

_ No, not a gift. A blessing._

* * *

><p><strong>-O-<strong>

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><p>As Gregor stared out over the battlefield, he knew instantly why he had been called upon. This was not a battle that Regalia could win, and if by some slim chance it did, it would be left completely open to attack.<p>

Atlas flew slightly closer to Luxa, so that they could speak. Once closer, Gregor couldn't help but notice how beautiful she had become over their years of separation.

She spoke first. "Gregor. . ." While she looked miserable, Gregor noticed that she still sounded strong, as if mostly unaffected by the battle waging around them. Aside from that, she sounded only a little choked up.

"Luxa. . . ." He responded, looking out over the battle. "I don't know what to say."

Motioning for him to follow, Luxa and Aurora began to fly away. Atlas followed. While it was only a short flight, it felt to Gregor as if it spanned hours. He felt horrible, sitting there and not helping in the fight. Every second he wasted, more people would die.

They settled down on a ridge overlooking the battle. Gregor immediately noticed that many of his old friends were there. As he jumped off of Atlas, he did not expect any warm greeting, nor did he get any.

"Gregor." A voice said behind him. "It is good to see you again. You are a sight for sore eyes."

Gregor instantly recognized the voice, and turned around. Mareth had a sad smile on his face.

"Hey Mareth. I would say it's good to see you, but nothing about this is good." Gregor responded.

Turning back to Luxa, Gregor waited for an explanation. She seemed reluctant, but began to explain. "This is. . . Difficult to explain. This entire battle is not the first, but rather the second. After you left, the people were unstable. While they accepted our alliance with the Gnawers at first, it began to unsettle them. Most people did not want to live knowing that the Gnawers, which they had fought their entire lives, were now being accepted as allies. They did not trust them, and yet, their queen did. To them, it was an act of heresy."

Gregor's chest tightened up as he realized exactly why this battle was being fought. Luxa continued. "Many thought that my decision to bond with the Gnawers would bring the downfall of Regalia. That I was a failure of a queen. The fact that you left did not help either. Blinded by anger, may thought that you were abandoning Regalia by allowing the alliance. When you left, they saw it as you running." Luxa paused for a few moments to organize her thoughts. "Tension continued to build, but nobody was bold enough to act on it. Until, of course, the council stepped in. They decided that it was time for my marriage, despite my young age. While in the end the decision is mine, the council holds great influence. It is their job to find suitable men for me to choose from."

Gregor's mind froze up. Was Luxa married now?

She continued hastily, as if she knew what he was thinking. "They found several suitable men. However, I declined every one of them. While it wouldn't normally cause problems, one of the men, Tyson, would not accept being rejected. He thought that I was destroying Regalia, and in order to save it, that I would have to either change my way of thinking, or step off of the throne. He thought that the best way to make me do that was to control me. While he normally wouldn't be a threat, he quickly became one. He took advantage of how unstable Regalia was, and threatened to cut the few strings holding us together, if I did not marry him. Knowing that I had little choice, I was going to accept him proposal for the good of Regalia. However, after some advice from Vikus I rethought me decision. If I accepted Tyson's proposal he would control Regalia. He would have full support from the people, due to his views on the alliance. I was not going to allow that to happened. He would have waged was against the Gnawers again, and we would not be able to survive another war. I couldn't allow it. And so, I declined."

Luxa paused, and took a few deep breaths. "As he said he would, he went to the people, and had them take up arms. Several weeks ago, the palace was attacked and overrun. With few supporters, we were unable to defend the palace. We were forced to retreat."

Gregor had a million questions, but held them back.

Luxa continued once more. "We went to the only place we could. The Fount. Having not received word of the rebellion, they were rather shocked to hear that I had lost the throne. They took me and my followers in. Having been exposed to the Gnawers on only a few occasions, they held much less hatred towards them. As a result, it was rather simple to gain their support. As I said before, this is the second battle. The first battle took place several days after the rebellion had begun. We fought over Regalia that day, in an attempt to reclaim it. It became painfully clear that we were outclassed in almost every way very quickly. In only once hour, 237 of our men were confirmed dead, and another 39 missing."

She paused, and looked out towards the battle. "This is the second battle. Our spies learned that Tyson was planning an attack on the Fount. We ambushed their force soon after they left Regalia. Before they could reorganize to mount a counter attack, we were gone. Hit and run tactics. In our first attack, we only lost 3 soldiers, while they lost at least 35. We reorganized and attacked again. They were more prepared, but could not defend against us. We lost 9 more men, while they lost at least 27. on the third attack, they were using a different formation. When we attacked, we were caught without escape. That is what you see now. Our forces are beginning to fall, and we will not be able to last much longer."

Gregor cleared his throat, then began to respond. "What are we going to do, then? If we are trapped, we will not be able to reorganize for a successful retreat. They would just pick us off as we fled. And as it is, we have little hope of overpowering them."

Luxa turned towards him and smiled slightly. Very slightly. "This is were you come in. If you join the battle, it will greatly benefit us. Since you left the underland, your skill and become widely known. To the soldiers, it would be a nightmare to face you on the battlefield, and an honor to fight alongside of you. Your appearance will greatly boost our soldiers spirits, and will strike fear into the enemies hearts. Many may run, and those who do not will have little defense, due to the disorganization your appearance will cause among their ranks."

Gregor nodded and thought it over. For the most part, Luxa was correct. If he joined the battle, they would have a shot at victory. If he did not, it was likely what Luxa and her followers would loose this war right here.

He nodded again. "I'll do it, but my friends here, Lillie and Gage, must be safe before I go out."

Looking behind him, Luxa noticed his friends for the first time. Either Gregor was just imagining it, or her expression turned a little sour when she looked at Lillie.

Luxa turned back to him. "They will be safe here. The enemy wouldn't dare attack this position, due to it's defenses. While it's already difficult to fight in due to the constraining space, our men would die to protect it. They will not let harm come to me or their commander. Ripred is here, as well."

Gregor nodded in response. "Good. Okay, I need a sword if I am going to fight."

Luxa motioned towards Vikus, who was silently overlooking the battle. Reaching to his side, he unstrapped a long object, which was wrapped in cloth, and handed it to Gregor. Gregor took it in his hands, and began to unravel the cloth. What he found shocked him. It was his sword. The Warriors sword, which he had previously broken. However, it was fully intact.

He looked back at Luxa. "You had it fixed."

She nodded in response. "Yes. Shortly after you left, I had it repaired, in case you ever came back. Since then, it has been by Ares grave, which is located in his cave. When I got word that you were returning to New York, I retrieved it in case you returned."

"I. . . Thank you, Luxa. Thank you." He said. "So, I guess I'll see you after this battle, and we can catch up and stuff."

She smiled slightly. "Yes, we can catch up. I'd like that."

Gregor smiled back, and began to walk towards Atlas. However, he was stopped by Gage and Lillie several feet away from Atlas.

"Gregor. . . Your not going out to fight, are you?" Lillie asked.

Before Gregor could respond, Gage began to talk. "You can't dude! You'll get yourself seriously hurt, or even killed!"

They both continued to speak, but quieted down when they saw the look in Gregor's eyes. It was similar to when he fought Dylan.

"Yes, I am going to fight. Yes I might get hurt. But I will not get killed. I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do." He said.

With that, he pushed past his friends, and climbed atop Atlas. They wasted not time in taking off and flying towards the battle.

As they got closer, Gregor began to clearly see the battle. He could now see truly how many bodies there were on the ground, and how much of the cavern was painted red with blood. He could hear the men screaming in pain as they bled out, and he could smell the burning flesh, as fallen soldiers torches set fire to the bodies strewn across the ground. It was a truly horrific sight.

However, this only drove Gregor. Knowing that he had the power to prevent any more death and end this chaos fueled him, as he approached the battle.

All too soon, Gregor and Atlas reached the battle. Gregor could clearly see who was and wasn't his ally. Many soldiers wore Regalia's insignia, while others held one he had never seen, which must be the Fount's. The same insignia was painted onto Atlas. Gregor hadn't seen it before, but all of the fliers had their respective insignia painted onto them, while the soldiers had it on their armor. Gregor wore no armor, so he could only hope that his allies say the insignia painted on Atlas.

Atlas twisted and spun, avoiding other fliers. Soon enough, he came to a sudden stop, right in the center of the cavern.

Turning his head, he began to speak. "Gregor, raise your sword up, so that it may be seen by all. That sword is a mark of the warrior. They will know it is you."

Gregor nodded in response, and began to raise his sword. The response was not immediate, but was there nonetheless. Several fliers which had been engaged in combat flew closer to Gregor, and their riders looked at him.

This happened several times, before Gregor heard a shout from somewhere amidst the chaos. "It is the warrior! The warrior has come, and he fights for her majesty!"

After Gregor heard this shout, he saw a shift in the battle. He saw that the Fount's soldiers began to fight with more ferocity, and that the enemy seemed to weaken.

However, that was not the only result. Several of Regalia's soldiers saw an opportunity. If they could strike the warrior down, it would crush the Fount's spirit, and ensure victory.

At that moment, Gregor realized that he was being targeted. Several hostile fliers dived at his, and attempted the strike him down. Gregor was thankful that Atlas was agile, despite his size. With little hesitation, Atlas shot forward towards an oncoming flier. Gregor's eye sight splintered, and he felt the world slow down. And suddenly, everything was back to normal. Looking down at his sword, he noticed that it was covered in blood. Looking back, he watched as a body fell from the flier who had attacked him. Soon after, the flier lost altitude and crashed into the ground, blood streaming out of a long gash across it's back.

Gregor felt like throwing up, but kept it down. He had never killed a human before, and it did not rest well with him. However, he would deal with that later.

This display discouraged any other attackers, and Gregor saw several flier retreat. However, it was nowhere near enough to win the battle. He needed to scare the enemy.

Leaning down, he spoke to Atlas. "Atlas, I have an idea. If we can scare the enemy, it will surely benefit us. It may cause many of them to retreat. It will make an example to others. If we do this correctly, we could end this battle in one more attack."

Atlas's ear twitched in response. "Yes, that is correct. If we can strike down a foe with ferocity, we can scare others. However, I do not recommend attacking any enemy."

"Why not?"

"If you look closely, you may see one man in particular. He is avoiding combat for the most part, and communicating with his allies." Atlas concluded.

Looking around, Gregor quickly spotted the man Atlas was referring to.

"The commander. . ." He muttered.

Without warning, Atlas shot towards the man. Gregor had expected this, and leaned in close to Atlas for additional speed. Atlas was not holding back, clearly going as fast as possible, in order to pierce through the hostile defenses.

Sure enough, Atlas slipped past several dozen other fliers, and came up right in the commanders face. Gregor could tell from the man's movements that he was highly skilled. With the small amount of experience fighting on a flier, Gregor would be unable to defeat the man, nor would the man be able to defeat him.

Instead, Gregor jumped off of Atlas, and onto the mans flier. He knew that he would be shaken off very fast, so he wasted no time. He quickly lashed out with his sword, extinguishing the mans light. Just as fast, he jumped off the back of the flier, and was caught by Atlas.

The effect was almost immediate. The enemy fell into disorganization, allowing the Fount's soldiers to drive them back, and force them to retreat.

As soon as Gregor saw this, he sighed in relief. Almost all of Regalia's forces were retreating, and those who were not, were quickly struck down.

And so, the battle was won.

Flying back over to the ledge, Atlas landed. Gregor jumped off of his back and walked over to Luxa. However, before he could get to her she ran a few steps to him and threw her arms around him. He was slightly surprised when her lips met him, but he was not unhappy. He kissed back with four years of pent up passion.

All too soon, Luxa pulled back, and rested her head on his shoulder. He could feel her tears on his shoulder, but did not mind. She had been thrown off of her throne, and watched half of her people get slaughtered in front of her very eyes. She had the right to cry. Sometimes, crying was good for you.

"Luxa. . . I'm back." He whispered into her ear.

Her arms tightened around him in response.

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><p><strong> So, how was that? I ended it off sooner than I initially planned to, but this is a fitting ending to this chapter. Or, at least I think so. So, give me any an all thoughts on it! I want to hear your feedback, I want to know how much you guys like this story! I need to know what to improve on, so that I can make this better for all of you. So, I'll see you guys later!<strong>

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><p><strong>Question: How will Lillie and Gage react to all of this?<strong>

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><p><strong>Tytonic: So, how did you guys like it?<strong>

**Gregor and Luxa: *Continue to hug***

**Tytonic: So, you like it? Well you seem happy enough to me. Next?**

**Gage: Could you by any chance explain what is going on? I am so confused.**

**Lillie: Yeah, please, explain. What is all of this? Why does Gregor seem to know these people, and why are they calling him the warrior?**

**Tytonic: Oh, that stuff? Ehh, long story. You'll find out later. Just be patient. Gregor should be the one to tell you anyway.**

**Lillie: Hmph.**

**Tytonic: Right. So, I'll see you guys later!**

**Gage and Lillie: Bye.**

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><p><strong>See you guys next week!<strong>

**-Tytonic**


	6. Chapter 6: It Will Destroy Her

**Hello guys, and welcome back! First things first. Yeas! 1,000 view on this story! And also, we just hit 40,000 on War of the Myriapods! Thank you very much guys! I would have never imagined that my writing would get this popular, but it has! Again, thank you!**

** So, I have been having some trouble writing my book, as some of you may know. However, I have just made a break through! Lat night I got into "that" type of mood, and sat down at my computer. I officially have ¾ of the book outlined and set. Before, I only had the first few chapters down, and I kept changing other stuff. This new stuff though is good, and I'm going to stick with it!**

** Unfortunately, nobody even tried to guess the question last chapter, so there is no winner today. C'mon, we can do better than that!**

** So, I'll see you guys after the chapter!**

**See you guys soon,**

**-Tytonic**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Underland Chronicles, nor do I claim to. I do, however, hold rights over the characters and plot I create. <strong>

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><p><strong>Gregor and the War of Severance<strong>

**Chapter 6: It Will Destroy Her**

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><p>He could feel her tears on his shoulder, but did not mind. She had been thrown off of her throne, and watched half of her people get slaughtered in front of her very eyes. She had the right to cry. Sometimes, crying was good for you.<p>

"Luxa. . . I'm back." He whispered into her ear.

Her arms tightened around him in response.

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><p><strong>-O-<strong>

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><p>Gregor's breath was taken away as he gazed upon the Fount. With the glowing river flowing beside it, and the vast crop fields surrounding it, it was very beautiful. Parts of the river also flowed into the city, breaking it into sections.<p>

_It's not as big as Regalia, or as grand, but it's beautiful in it's own way._

Gregor was still slightly shaken from the battle. While he was completely unharmed, he was now plagued with the guilt that came from killing another human. Of course, if it had not been for him, the Fount would have lost the battle, and too many of their soldiers to continue the war. This did little to ease his guilt.

On another hand, Gregor was worried about Lillie and Gage. Ever since the battle, they both seemed a little. . . hollow. Gregor understood that it was too much to take in, but it wasn't only that. The had seen him kill, watching him slaughter other humans as if he were used to it. He just hoped that they understood.

And, of course, he dreaded talking to them again. Not only would he have difficulty facing them after what they had seen, but he was not keen on explaining everything to them. It could ruin their friendship.

And then there was Luxa. During the battle, he did not have time to actually think about how he was finally seeing her again. It was too dire of a situation. But now, after the battle, he had too much time. The Fount was a few hour flight away from Regalia, and the battle had taken place fairly close by.

The first thought that came to him was of how beautiful she had become. While she seemed like a fragile girl, there was still the sense of power and command that came from her presence. She was, n no way fragile.

Over the four years they had been separated, his love for her had only grown. Having been through so much together, they had become bound by trauma, and in turn, fallen in love. It was because of this special connection that their separation had felt so painful, yet loving. They say that ones love for another only grows stronger with distance.

Gregor came back to his senses when Atlas began to speak. "Gregor. . . I see that your relationship with Luxa is of romantic nature?"

Gregor was surprised that Atlas would ask such a thing. He did not seem like the type of person to stick his nose (snout?) into other peoples business. "Well. . . Yes. We do love each other."

"It will only bring you and Luxa trouble. However. . . it, it makes her happy. She has been void of happiness since the war began. While, from a political view, I would advise against your relationship, I believe that it is good. Luxa needs it."

Something occurred to Gregor. "Oh, well thanks, I guess. Atlas, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Yes?" The bat replied.

"Why do you call Luxa by her names, rather than her title?" Gregor asked.

"It is because we are close. From my day of birth, I have been with her. She is, after all, my mother's bond." Atlas exclaimed.

"Wait, slow down. So Aurora is your mom? Then who's your dad?" Gregor asked, noting the golden lines running along Atlas's body.

"Indeed., she is my mother. My father is. . . deceased. You knew him far better than I did Gregor. He was the flier who sacrificed himself so that the underland may descend into peace. My father was Ares, the legendary bond of the warrior."

Gregor was left speechless. Unconsciously, he wrapped his hand around Ares's claw. He did not feel the tears sliding down his cheeks.

"If I may ask a favor of you. . . could you please tell me of my father?" Atlas asked politely.

Gregor choked down a few sobs before answering. "Atlas. . . your father. . . he was a great flier. The best I knew, in fact. He was very nice, even if he did not always show it. He would not let things get him down, either. After I left for the first time, he secluded himself. But when I got back, he was okay. He hadn't allowed it to affect him, nor had he allowed the other fliers hate to affect him."

Gregor paused for a moment to wipe his tears away. "He was strong, very strong. He fought off the plague like it was nothing, and even in death, he did not give up. He *sob* was great, Atlas. He was the best bond a person could have."

It was then that Gregor gave into his tears. Allowing them to flow, he wept silently. He missed Ares greatly, and his death had greatly affected him. For an entire year, he had been terrified of heights, knowing that there would be nobody to catch him, should he fall.

Atlas was silent for a few moments. "Thank you, Gregor. I know that must have been difficult for you."

Gregor wipe his tears away again, and forced himself to calm down a little. "No, it's fine, Atlas. You. . . You deserved to know. He was your father, after all."

Gregor focused on calming down after that. It would be rude if he showed up at the Fount in tears.

By the time Gregor had calmed down enough to become presentable, he could see the Fount's palace. While it was smaller than Regalia's, it was no less grand. The streams which ran throughout the settlement surrounded it, forming a mote. At the very edge of the mote, the walls of the palace slopped upward immediately, forming a very strong defense.

Gregor watched as their group of fliers, which consisted of the Fount's military, broke apart. Many of the fliers flew down to the infirmary, which was a large building just outside the palace, with wounded men upon their backs. The rest flew to an arena, which was connected to the barracks. While it was smaller than Regalia's, Gregor knew that it still had plenty of room.

As they swirled down into an opening in the palace room, Gregor was surprised at the people who awaited them. While he was not at all surprised about Hazard being there, he did not expect to see Stellovet. While his thoughts instantly leaned towards her beauty, he was not enticed by it. She was beautiful, sure, but Luxa was more beautiful in his eyes.

As they settled down, Gregor tensed up. He could feel the tension in the air.

_So Luxa and Stellovet are still on bad grounds. Might want to be careful around her; she was nasty the last time we met. By the way, where is York? Isn't he the leader of the Fount?_

As Gregor dismounted, Stellovet walked up to Luxa. "Greeting, cousin. It is good to see that you are well. The trust that the mission was a success?"

"Yes, it was. However, that is the work of Gregor here." Luxa replied, gesturing towards Gregor.

Stellovet turned to him, mildly surprised that he was there. "Ah, Greetings, warrior! It is reassuring to know that you have returned to aid in this war." Her voice was much less strained than it was with Luxa.

"Hello, and thank you. Just, the warrior is dead. Call me Gregor." He replied.

"Yes, of course Gregor." She said, the looked towards his friends. "I will have accommodations made for you and your friends."

"Thank you." Gregor replied.

After what felt like hours, Stellovet left, and they were left to their own. Before Gregor could even begin to arrange his thoughts, Hazard ran towards him and embraced him in a strong hug.

"Woah, easy there Hazard. Man, your getting strong. And look at yourself, your as tall as I am!" Gregor said. "So, how's it going?"

"Great! Aside from recent events, of course. I have started language lessons for people! Along with a creature of that species, I am teaching other humans to speak in other languages!" He exclaimed happily.

"Ah, that's great Hazard! I may have to swing by when I get the chance!" Gregor responded.

Hazard's eyes lit up. "That would be great!"

It was then that Hazard noticed Gage and Lillie for the first time. Running over to them, he held out his hand. "Hello! My name is Hazard, and I'm Luxa's sister! Who are you?"

Without missing a beat, Gage shook hands with Hazard. "Hey Hazard. My name's Gage. Nice to meet you."

Next, Lillie shook hands with Hazard, albeit she was a bit more hesitant. "Hi, Hazard. My name is Lillie." She paused for a few moments. "Not to be rude or anything, but why does everybody here have silver hair and purple eyes when you don't?"

Hazard did not seem surprised at the question. "I am a halflander. My father was an underlander, and my mother was an overlander, like you."

Lillie nodded in understanding, and said no more.

Ass they finished their conversation, Luxa motioned a servant to come over. "Could you please show the overlanders to the baths? They must wash the overland stench off of them."

The servant nodded in response, and began to walk away, motioning for Gregor and his friends to follow. As they began to follow, Luxa stopped Gregor for a second. "Gregor, come by my room when you have completed your bath, okay? Just ask one of the guards for directions. They should not give you any trouble."

Gregor nodded in response, and continued to follow the servant to the baths. The women and men bathrooms were located next to each other, so Lillie split up with Gregor and Gage when they arrived.

As Gage and Gregor walked into the bathroom, Gage turned to Gregor and punched him right in the stomach. Of course, Gregor could have blocked it, but he figured that he deserved it. That didn't make it hurt any less. Gregor fell into a kneeling position, gasping for air. The punch had taken all of the air out of Gregor's lungs.

"What the hell man?! What is all of this, and why didn't you tell us about it all earlier?!" Gage said angrily.

"I suppose I deserved that. Look, Gage, I know I should have told you and Lillie about this earlier, but you wouldn't have even believed me." Gregor exclaimed once he had caught his breath. "Look, I'll explain everything to you and Lillie later, okay? Right now just isn't the time."

Gage took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Okay. . . I'm sorry I hit you man, that was wrong of me. But I'm gonna hold you to that promise, okay?"

"Got it. Now, don't be alarmed, but these baths are completely open. No privacy." Gregor said.

"No problem. We're both guys here, right?" Gage said.

Gregor nodded in response.

They both began to take off their cloths, and Gage almost freaked when he say Gregor's scars. "Woah, what the? Gregor, what the crap are those from? I knew you had scars, but nothing like that!"

Gregor sighed. "I'll explain that later. For now, let's just say that this place hasn't necessarily been kind to me."

Gage nodded, and proceeded to slide into the bath. Once Gregor had done so as well, he began asking other questions. "So, Gregor, is that girl your girlfriend or something? You seemed pretty lovey dovey to me."

This, Gregor could talk about. "Yeah, you could say that. Though, it is a bit. . . complicated. I mean, she IS a queen down here."

"Yeah, what is up with that? How is all of this below New York? Actually, no, you'll answer that later. So, how did you and that girl hook up?"

Gregor smiled. "Well, we kissed right before I left for a battle that I was suppose to die in. I mean, I did get this, but it's better than being dead." He said, pointing towards the largest of his scars.

"Right. I guess you'll explain that later too. . ." Gage trailed off.

He continued after a minute of silence. "So, when are we going to go back up to New York? It's been a while, and is probably around morning. We need to get back, or else we'll miss the rest of the field trip."

Gregor looked him dead in the eyes. "I'm going to ask Luxa later to send you and Lillie back up."

Gage tensed up for a moment. "Wait, are you not coming?"

Gregor shook his head. "Sorry, but no, I'm not. I need to stay down here and help Luxa win back her throne."

Gage was surprised. "Wait, so you're going to fight an _entire _war down here? You'll get killed!"

Gregor continued to look him in the eyes. "I've done it before. And I don't plan on getting killed. If by any chance I do, at least I will die fighting for Luxa."

Gage was left speechless after that, and remained silent throughout the rest of their bath.

Eventually, they completed their baths.

Walking out into the hallway in new clothing (the servants had had enough sense to leave Gregor Ares's claw and the picture), Gregor and Gage were met by Hazard. They engaged in small talk for several minutes before Lillie came out into the hallway and joined them.

"Okay, you are all here. Follow me, I will lead you to your rooms." Hazard said. Then, as if reading Gregor's mind, he leaned in and whispered, "Your room is right next to Luxa's."

They all followed Hazard through a maze of hallway, until he stopped suddenly. He then pointed each of them to their respective rooms, and walked away after bidding them all a good day.

Gregor walked into his room, and looked around really fast. It was simple, nothing grand. He had all of the essentials. Walking over to his bed, he unbuckled his sword from his belt, and placed it on his bed.

Wasting no time, he walked back out into the hallway, heading to Luxa's room. However, he was stopped by Howard several steps outside of his won door.

"Gregor! It is nice to see you again! Sorry we could not talk before, but, as you know, we were both rather. . . busy." He said.

"Yeah. But hey, enough of that, It's good to see you too, man! What's going on?" Gregor asked.

"Not much. I am currently on break, but there are many wounded to tend to, so I will not be free for long. What about you?" He responded.

"Not much, either. Just going to talk to Luxa. She said she wanted to talk to me once I was done getting settled in." Gregor said.

Howard's face instantly lost it's grin, and Gregor regretted his words. "Gregor, I have seen how you affect Luxa. Ever since she met you, she has been more enjoyable, and has been happier overall. After you fought the bane, and was seriously injured, she was very worried about you. Unbelievably worried. Her feelings towards you were rather evident. When you left, you do not know what it did to her. While she continued on with everyday life, and tried to act happy, but she had lost that enjoyable feeling. She no longer seemed happy all of the time. While she smiled, you could see that it was forced. In short, you departure almost destroyed her. Having lost her family, you were one of the only people she had to lean on. When you left, I was afraid of how she would take it. If it ha not been for her duty to Regalia I fear that she may have hurt herself, or worse."

"What are you saying, Howard?" Gregor asked.

"Gregor, she cares about you. Even more than you could possibly fathom. That is why I am asking that you end your relationship with her. While it benefits her in many ways, and makes her extremely happy, I fear that it will also destroy her. As an overlander, you cannot have a relationship with the queen. One day, she will have to marry, and who she marries depends entirely on how it will benefit the humans. Marrying you would benefit us in no way. In other words, she cannot marry you Gregor. When she has to marry another, it will destroy her. When she has to give herself to another, it will ruin her. I fear that it would be the cause of her death. If not physically, then emotionally. And so, I am asking that you end your relationship with her now, as to avoid putting her through that much pain. Gregor, please, do it of Luxa."

Gregor felt an anger rising up within him, but he pushed it down. Violence was not the way to handle this.

"Howard, I respect you. However, you are a fool. Love is not an emotion to play with. I love Luxa, and she loves me. We did not choose to love each other. . . It's not something you CAN choose. It just happens. And there is nothing you can do to change that." He responded.

Howard seemed _very _unhappy. "Gregor, please see reason here. That very love will _destroy _Luxa. You mustn't allow it to continue!"

Gregor remained calm. For the most part. "On the contrary, I think it will help her. Love is a powerful emotion. It grants you unimaginable power. It is now, in this time of war, that Luxa needs that power."

Gregor began to walk away, but stopped when he was several steps past Howard. "Howard, I love Luxa. There is nothing that will change that. I will support her, protect her, fight for her, and in the end, I will love her. I would not give her up for the world, let alone for the good of the humans."

Gregor turned around and looked Howard in the eyes. "Howard, you say that our love will kill her. You are mistaken. When it comes down to it, I believe that it will save her."

And with that, Gregor turned, and walked away without another word.

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><p><strong>Bam! I love that ending! I also love that little speech I put together, considering that it took all of 20 minutes. So, how do you guys like that speech? I think it works perfectly. Just a little heads up, the same argument will come up later in the story, so look forward to it!<strong>

** Some of you may argue that Luxa's reaction to Gregor leaving may have been a little off. I think it's spot on. Having lost almost all of her family, she depended greatly on Gregor. They went through an entire war together, and depended on each other in life and death situations. Also, consider all of the pressure put on her as queen. Now, take Gregor out of the equation. Imagine the amount of emotional damage that would do on a person. I feel bad for her. So, I'll see you guys later!**

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><p><strong>Question: What will Gregor and Luxa talk about? C'mon, this is an easy one!<strong>

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><p><strong>Tytonic: So, how was it?<strong>

**Howard: Greagor is a fool, a fool! He is blinded by love, and it will be the end of Luxa!**

**Tytonic: Hmm, good point. Their relationship does cause some issues. Gregor, your thoughts on it?**

**Gregor: I only want the best for Luxa. Ending our relationship will **_**not **_**be good for her. Especially now, when she needs it the most.**

**Tytonic: And what if it destroys her later?**

**Gregor: It won't. I won't let it. Even if I have to defy the entirety of the Regalia.**

**Tytonic: You both make good points. Personally, I think their relationship is a good thing. I think that if Gregor leaves her, it would be much worse than if they were forced apart. If they were forced apart she would still know that he loves her, when she would think that he no longer loves her if he left her.**

**Gregor: Finally, somebody with a brain!**

**Tytonic: Okay, well that's enough for now. I'll see you two later!**

**Howard: *Grumbles***

**Gregor: See you man.**

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><p><strong>Until next time!<strong>

**-Tytonic =3**


	7. Chapter 7: Sinister

**Hello people, and welcome back! So, I'm sorry that this may be a bit late, but I had a bunch of work to do over the weekend. Mostly yard work because everything froze over after some rain, and it ended up breaking a ton of branches. Then again, it might not be late, depending on how fast I can type.**

** So, I had somebody question Howard's logic from last chapter. How would Luxa marrying benefit the humans? Well, it's quite simple. In the underland, they need good leadership to survive. Who she marries is extremely important. While she could just rule by herself, the people would never accept that. Also, the people may not accept Gregor, and overlander, as a king.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Too lazy to write this right now. . .<strong>

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><p><strong> Well, enough of that! I'll see you guys later!<strong>

**Bis später!**

**-Tytonic**

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><p><strong>Gregor and the War of Severance<strong>

**Chapter 7: Sinister**

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><p>Gregor turned around and looked Howard in the eyes. "Howard, you say that our love will kill her. You are mistaken. When it comes down to it, I believe that it will save her."<p>

And with that, Gregor turned, and walked away without another word.

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><p><strong>-O-<strong>

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><p>As Gregor walked into Luxa's room, he let out a sigh of relief. He knew that he was going to have to talk to Howard eventually, but he hadn't expected to so soon. Of course, he knew that part of what Howard said was true. His relationship with Luxa was going to cause immense amounts of trouble, and plenty of difficulty. He was ready for it though.<p>

Using his own sigh, he took in an image of the room. It was very similar to his, albeit a bit more suited to Luxa's taste. What had he expected, though?

Noting where Luxa was, he walked towards a doorway, and entered the room. While she had her own room, it could be called an apartment. It had several rooms. Luxa happened to be in her bedroom at the moment.

Gregor took some extra time to make sure she was not changing. It would be extremely rude to walk in on her while she was. Especially since she was a queen.

As he pushed his way through the curtains, he was met with a pleasant sight. One which echolocation could not fully capture. Luxa was siting on her bed, knees up to her chest, with her arms around them. He could tell that she had bathed too. While on the battlefield, he had seen some blood on her. Clearly, that blood was gone now. He also noticed her hair for the first time. While it had been bundled up before for the battle, it was now flowing freely. It went all of the way down her back, and brushed the bed beneath her. In all honesty, Gregor liked her hair this way the most. She was also dressed in more casual clothing. Well, as casual as royalty can get.

Luxa looked up from the wall as she noticed Gregor for the first time. She began to smile, and this alone almost took Gregor off of his feet.

Luxa patted the spot next to her lightly, and scooted over to make a little more space. Gregor moved over to her and sat down without hesitation. A silence soon followed. However, it was a comfortable silence.

Of course, Gregor decided to be the one to break the ice. "So. . . It's been a very long time, Luxa."

"Yes, it has. . . Four years. I-I wish I could say that it fells like it was only yesterday. I cannot, though. It feels like it was more than four years ago." She responded.

"Four years too long, if you ask me." Gregor said. "So, how are things? Aside from the war, I mean. . ."

"Currently, there is little else. It is good to have you back, though. When you left. . . I was not happy. I. . . I found things difficult. I found it difficult to find happiness in things I used to, and things felt too. . . bland. With you around, things were always different. Better. As queen, I must work almost all day every day. When you were around, that was different. There was always something interesting going on." She said.

This made Gregor smile. "Yes, Howard told me already. It makes me happy, knowing that, even after such traumatic experiences, you were able to go on for the good of your people."

Luxa paused. "You have already spoken to Howard?" She waited for Gregor to nod in response. "I suppose he gave you a lecture about how we cannot be together, did he not? I must speak with him later, then. I have already talked to him about it, and asked him not to bring it up with you."

"Don't worry about it, Luxa. I expected it." Gregor replied. "I gave him a little speech. Yeah, it may have been a little cheesy and cliché, but I think it really got the point across."

Luxa tensed. "I hope that you were polite about it, Gregor. Howard. . . he is not well as of now."

"Pardon?"

"You may have noticed, but York was not here to greet us. Stellovet was there in his place." Gregor's heart sank. "Gregor, York was killed helping me escape Regalia."

"Wouldn't that make Howard the leader here then?" Gregor asked.

Luxa shook her head. "Normally, yes. However, he declined the position, and it was passed on to Stellovet."

Gregor realized with a jolt that that was bad. Luxa continued. "It is not good. While she has no choice but to help me, due to her peoples opinion, she does not wish to. Several times she has attempted to blackmail me, and on several occasions I have overheard her talking. From what I have gathered, it is possible that, should we win this war, I will have an unfortunate "accident" and she will take over as queen."

"Don't worry about it Luxa. I won't let that happen. I doubt she has the guts to do such a thing anyway, especially since I am around." He said confidently.

"Yes. . . Enough of this depressing topic. So, how have you been, Gregor?" Luxa said.

"Good, not good, it's debatable. For a while, I did not fit in at my new school. I still don't, really, but I have made a few friends, like Gage and Lillie." He responded.

"Gage and Lillie. . . They seem like good friends. They were worried about you." Luxa said. "And that girl, Lillie. . . she is rather pretty, is she not? I. . . I am glad that you found somebody to help you forget about me. . . I. . . I am very sorry, having to bring you down here again. You deserve peace more than any of us."

Gregor turned to Luxa. "Luxa. . . No. Don't think like that. One, I do NOT think of Lillie like that. She is just a friend. And two, don't be sorry. I. . . I don't belong in the overland anymore. I feel more at home here than I ever did in the overland."

Luxa turned away, blushing. Well, her entire body flushed red due to her skin. "I-I am sorry for assuming such things, Gregor."

Gregor smiled. "Don't worry about it. Oh, and just so you know, Lillie and Gage are crazy for each other. They are in love, but neither of them realize that the other likes them back. It's kind of entertaining to watch. I could break the ice for them, but I'll let them work it out on their own. It's better that way."

Luxa smiled at this. "It reminds me of us a little."

"How so?"

"Well. . . Before we kissed for the first time, I began to like you. I believe that it was when we danced at Hazard's party that I began to like you. And, well. . . I figured, due to a few things I observed, that you liked me for some time before we kissed. . . We both liked each other, but didn't admit it." Luxa responded.

Gregor chuckled. "That's interesting. It was when we danced that I began to like you too."

Luxa pondered this for a few moments before laughing as well.

Gregor noticed that Luxa was beginning to sound weary. He could tell from her voice, and the bags under her eyes, that she had not slept in some time.

Gregor was bout to ask her about it when he felt something on his shoulder. He didn't need to look to tell that it was Luxa. He could hear her soft breaths as she drifted off to sleep.

He sat and listened for a few minutes before deciding to leave. She wasn't going to sleep very well sitting up, so he moved her to her pillow, and draped her sheets over her. He noticed that she snuggled underneath the sheets a little more.

_She must have been chilly. She could have just told me._

As Gregor exited her room, he passed a guard who wasn't there before. The guard hardly spared him a glance.

Almost immediately after that, he was met by a servant.

"Warrior, Lady Stellovet has requested to speak with you. If you may, follow me."

Gregor was immediately suspicious. He wondered why Stellovet would want to speak with him. As he followed the servant, he noticed an increase in the amount of guards. He figured that it was because he was approaching her room.

All too soon, the servant paused, and motioned towards a door, before walking away.

Gregor gulped. He had a very bad feeling about this.

As he pushed through the curtains, his worries were confirmed. Stellovet was sitting on a couch, reading a book. However, when she looked up at him, he could see it in her eyes. He could see something dark, something sinister.

_This is bad. Very bad._

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><p><strong>And that's a wrap on it! Okay, so it's shorter than I wanted, but I'm really running out of time here. Stuff to do, places to be, crap like that. So, tell me what you guys think! I know not much happened, but there should be some action next chapter.<strong>

** See you guys later!**

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><p><strong>Question: What is Stellovet going to dosay?**

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><p><strong>Until next time, <strong>

**-Tytonic**


	8. Chapter 8: Rusty

**Hello people of the world, and welcome back! So, how's it going for you guys? Get any snow? I got 8 inches, and a winter storm warning is in effect for the next few days. 14-24 inches expected from now till Wednesday. And guess what? I bet I'll still have school. Possibly a 2 hour delay tomorrow, or an early dismissal. Hey, as long as I don't have math class, and get to sleep. I like all my other classes, as weird as that is for a 14 year old boy. What can I say? I'm taking all honors classes next year. Sadly, the girl I like isn't, to the best of my knowledge ='(.**

** So, a ton of people got close on the question last chapter, but only one hit the bullseye. Nice going, Violettvalentine. Everybody got really close, but you included one crucial detail.**

** So, have a nice snow storm, people!**

**See you all soon!**

**-Tytonic**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own The Underland Chronicles, nor do I claim to. I do, however, hold rights over the characters and plot I create. <strong>

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><p><strong>Gregor and the War of Severance<strong>

**Chapter 8: Rusty**

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><p>Stellovet was sitting on a couch, reading a book. However, when she looked up at him, he could see it in her eyes. He could see something dark, something sinister.<p>

_This is bad. Very bad._

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><p><strong>-O-<strong>

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><p>Stellovet's face lit up immediately as she saw him. However, Gregor was not one to be fooled. Having been the one person who always kept to himself, who nobody knew anything about, he had plenty of people approach him attempting to discover his secrets. He could tell when people were pretending to be nice. Stellovet was one of those people. Gregor knew how politics generally worked though, and put on the same facade.<p>

"Gregor! How nice it is to see you. Come, have a seat!" She said merrily.

Gregor nodded politely, and made his way over to the open spot on the couch. While walking though, he used the sound of his feet scraping on the ground to gain a clear image of the room. As far as he could see, there were no apparent threats.

Sitting down, Gregor made sure to keep at least a foot of space between him and Stellovet. Just in case. Better to be safe than sorry. And of course, Stellovet immediately closed that gap.

"There is no need to be shy, Gregor. I won't bite." She said.

Gregor moaned in his head. _That's exactly what I'm worried about_. He really wanted to hurry up. Something about Stellovet unsettled him.

"Stellovet," He said in a most polite manner, "I am sure you called me here for a reason. May we please get on with it?"

She looked him over for a moment. "I see you are no fool, Gregor. Very well, we shall 'get on with it', as you say." She paused for a moment. "Gregor, what is your opinion on this recent war?"

Gregor had already pieced together his answer. "It is ridiculous. Foolish. It should have never began. If there cannot be peace, then why must the conflict be between us? We will only destroy each other." He figured that it would be better to sound as if he was favoring Regalia, yet still favoring the Fount. This way, Stellovet might see it fit to tell him of whatever plan she has likely cooked up.

She seemed to think this over briefly before responding. "I suppose I share the same view as you do. This is what happens when you try to make peace with such an enemy. I do believe that Luxa is foolish, thinking that we can make peace with the gnawers."

Just as Gregor expected, Stellovet was against Luxa. He decided to try to get more information out of her.

"Yes. I believe that she was foolish. However, I do think that she had the right idea. Just the wrong way of going about it." Of course, this is not at all what Gregor thought. Had he been in Luxa's position, he would have done the exact same thing she had done.

"Yes. Her idea of peace was good, but her was of achieving it was incorrect. I believe that it is her naivety which has caused this war." Stellovet said.

Gregor did not respond.

"In the end, she will destroy us all. She cannot be allowed to remain on the throne. You agree as well, right Gregor?" She asked.

Gregor took a few moments to reply. "If she were to lose the throne, who do you propose would be best for the position?"

"Nerissa would be the next in line. However, she is far to weak to bear such a burden. Logically, I am the best for the position."

"What about Howard?"

"My brother has no wish to rule. He wishes to become a great doctor, who will save many people." She responded.

"Yes. So, you would indeed be the best for the position." He said. "But, how exactly would you go about achieving peace?"

She contemplated this for a few moments. "We would surrender to Regalia, and join them once more. Once we have returned to full strength, we would continue to fight the gnawers. However, we would not hold back. We would destroy them in every way possible, and force them out of the underland. There can be no peace until the gnawers have been eliminated. Until then, they will constantly be a threat."

Gregor knew what would come of such a plan. "So, you propose that we destroy every last gnawers, and leave none alive? That is unjustified slaughter."

She looked at him with a sinister look, hidden behind a smile. "You are a rager, Gregor. You know the concept of slaughter better than any of us. You are meant to kill. In fact, I hear that ragers take joy in killing."

Had Gregor not expected such a comment, his rager would have taken over right then and there. It still hit him hard, though.

He stood up immediately. "Stellovet, do not act as if you understand what a rager is. You can never understand unless you are one." He said, venom lacing his voice. "You plan to slaughter hundreds of innocent being. Even if they are our enemy, that is unjustified. There is no need to kill more than necessary. We have made peace with the gnawers. Luxa was in no way naïve to think that we could live in peace with them. If anything, you are naïve to think that the rest of the fount would follow such a mindset."

She seemed utterly shocked. "B-but I-".

"Stellovet, I am no fool. It has been made evident that you plan to turn against Luxa and seize the throne for yourself. Let it be know that as long as I am alive, you will not lay so much as a finger on her. Understood?" Gregor hissed.

Stellovet was clearly terrified. She was alone in a room with a furious rager, and she was the one who he was furious at. She knew that when they lost it, there was no stopping them from killing. So, she did all she could. She nodded slightly, and hoped that he would accept it.

Gregor could see the terror in her expression. However guilty he felt about it, he knew that he had effectively gotten his message across. He had used her own mindset against her. She saw ragers as merciless killers who took joy in slaughtering others. So, he turned that against her by using it to intimidate her. In all reality, he had been in perfect control. Sure, he had been pissed, but he had not allowed his rager to take hold. He had just made it seem like he was losing control in order to terrify her.

Gregor nodded slightly, and turned to walk out of the room. Through echolocation, he could see her let out a large sigh. She had truly been terrified.

As Gregor walked through the hallways, he made his way back to his room. Walking into his room, he immediately knew something was off. Hand shooting up, he caught a tail hardly an inch away from his face.

"Your getting rusty, boy."

"Yeah. I didn't exactly have a way to train while I was away, Ripred." Gregor responded.

Ripred stepped out of the shadows. "Grab your sword and come with me."

Gregor rolled his eyes and grabbed his sword. He was tired, and had hoped to get some sleep. But he knew that Ripred would not take no as an answer. So, he followed Ripred, and it came as no surprise when they left the palace, and entered some sort of cave, which was pitch dark.

And so, they began training. Gregor could tell that his echolocation had improved greatly since he was last downstairs, as he could read Ripred's every movement. Because of this, it was more of a normal sparing session that anything. However, Gregor had to hold back, as to not let his rager run lose. He knew that he could not hurt Ripred even if it did, but he would end up getting hurt himself.

As they were sparing, Gregor felt a shift in the battle. Ripred began coming at him more aggressively than before, and he was forced to defend himself. This increase in intensity made it much more difficult to hold his rager back, and he soon found that he was fighting himself more than he was fighting Ripred.

This continued on for several minutes before Gregor realized what Ripred was trying to do. He was trying to get Gregor to give into his rager, to let it take over and control him. Having realized this, Gregor knew that it was a test. Ripred was trying to see how well he could control his rager.

_Challenge accepted, Ripred. Bring it on._

He regretted this thought almost immediately. As if he could read Gregor's thoughts, Ripred began to attack even faster and harder, and Gregor found himself using small portions of his rager to fend off the attacks. He knew he couldn't last much longer, else he would give into his rager. Should that happen, Ripred would have to knock him out entirely in order to stop him.

As he continued to fight, he felt his grip on reality beginning to slip, and his vision began to fragment.

Right as he was holding on by his fingernails, Ripred let up and the entire room was filled with light. Gregor fell onto his hands and knees, gasping for breath as he struggled to regain control of himself. He vaguely heard Luxa's voice when she spoke.

"Ripred, what are you doing?! Look at him! You know he is already very tired!" She yelled.

This didn't faze Ripred in the slightest. "My dearest bond, this boy here is a tad rusty. I'm polishing him off a bit." He responded with a sarcastic tone.

"Can you not do this later, then?" She asked, still irritated.

"No, I cannot. Our little rager here needs to learn to control himself if he is to help in this petty war." Ripred replied.

"Well than you can stay here, Ripred." She said, taking Gregor's hand. He was still too dizzy to support himself fully. "Come, Gregor. We are going to eat dinner, and you must be there. I am sure you are very hungry."

As they left the room, Gregor's head began to clear. While he was not hurt in anyway, resisting his rager like that was not good for him. However, Ripred was right. He needed to get a hold on it if he really wanted to be a help on the battlefield.

As they entered the dining room, Gregor's head had fully cleared and he could stand up perfectly fine once more. Gregor took his seat next to Luxa, who was seated next to Stellovet. Luxa noticed the sour look that Stellovet gave Gregor.

"What is that about, Gregor?" She asked.

"I'll tell you later, Luxa." He replied.

Sitting across from him and Luxa was Gage and Lillie. Gregor swallowed slightly as he felt them stare at him.

"So, Gregor. Are you gonna start explaining?" Gage asked.

As Gage said this, Gregor felt much of the rooms attention fall to him. Gage and Lillie were not the only ones who wanted to hear his story. He let out a deep sigh, and began his story.

"So, it all began when Boots, my little sister, decided to climb into an air grate. . ."

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><p><strong>So, that's a wrap on it. Sorry that this is out this late at night, but my parents wanted to go out for dinner. Put me back three hours (so did procrastinated homework .-.). So, tell me what you guys think of the chapter, and I will see you all next time!<strong>

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><p><strong>Question: How much will Gregor explain? There are a lot of personal things in there. . .<strong>

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><p><strong>Bis später!<strong>

**-Tyonic**


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